Suns put on show with Durant watching
Devin Booker kept count.
“I think he got two standing ovations,” he said.
Kevin Durant was in Footprint Center soaking it all in like a sponge dipped into the ocean.
The two-time finals MVP acknowledged the sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Center that roared when he was introduced, interacted with teammates, smiled and watched his new team top Sacramento, 120-109, Tuesday night.
“I think they couldn’t wait to see him on the jumbotron,” Suns big Deandre Ayton said. “They were waiting for that. I’m glad they did it in the fourth quarter just to keep everybody focused, but I know the fans are super excited. They came out there to see him. Just imagine when he suits up and ready to play.”
Booker scored a team-high 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting without a 3-point attempt in 29 minutes as he’s still on a minute restriction after missing 21 games with a left groin strain.
Ayton went for 29 points and 11 boards, Josh Okogie posted 19 points and Chris Paul churned out 17 points and a season-high 19 assists as the Suns are now fourth in the West and just a game behind the Kings.
All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 35 points for Sacramento, which is 0-2 against Phoenix this season. Here are five takeaways as the Suns face the Clippers (32-28) Thursday in their last game before the All-Star break.
Booker’s back
He brought the ball way back before slamming it down on the break. Ka-boom.
That’s the explosion Booker hadn’t displayed since returning from the injury.
Booker wasn’t playing with his usual pace and force in his first two games back. Played hard, but he wasn’t in attack mode.
The minute restriction threw off the rhythm some. He hadn’t played in more than a month.
On Tuesday, he looked more like himself – and this was without taking a 3 on 20 attempts (made 13). He was making shots, staring down the opposition and getting after the refs with a passion.
Coach Monty Williams talked after the game about talking to Booker about playing fewer minutes, but admitted that’d be a short conversation.
Here’s an even shorter one. Booker’s back.
‘Make the game easier for them’
Okogie is seizing the moment.
With Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson getting traded to Brooklyn as part of the Durant deal and Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne still out with foot injuries, Okogie has been getting a chance to start while the Suns wait for Durant to be available.
The 13-time All-Star will be out until after the All-Star break with a right MCL sprain.
“Guys like me and everybody else have to figure out how to play around these guys to make the game easier for them,” Okogie said after Tuesday’s morning shootaround.
So, Okogie is getting it in for real. After not playing in three straight games, Okogie has scored a total of 61 points in his last three games – 25 at Atlanta, 17 at Indiana and 19 versus Sacramento.
Williams has said Shamet is further away from returning than Payne, who has been ramping up, but both will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break.
In their absences, Okogie played a game-high 39 minutes and 26 seconds Tuesday.
Fifth starter: Okogie or Torrey Craig?
Now, he won’t log major minutes with the Suns at full strength. The points are nice, and handling the ball a little bit is cool, but that’s all bonus and shouldn’t become the expectation going forward.
What the Suns need from him is what Bridges provided – defense and hitting 3s. Okogie delivered both tonight with his physical play and 3-of-4 effort from 3.
Now the bigger question is will he or Torrey Craig start when Durant returns?
Williams named both when talking about what they’ll do after the All-Star break.
Craig has more starts than Okogie (46 to 3), is a better rebounder on both ends and at 6-7, 221 pounds is taller and bigger than the 6-4, 212-pound Okogie. However, Okogie has been playing better and more productive as of late.
Williams talked about matchups determining who will start between the two. He likes their defensive disposition in helping replace Bridges, one of the league’s best on-ball defenders.
He’ll have 22 games at the most if Durant returns on Feb. 24 against Oklahoma City to figure out who the fifth starter will be, but the great teams make teams adjust to them, not the other way around.
Ayton in the fourth
Booker and Paul usually close the show.
They made their presence felt in the final 12 minutes on Tuesday.
Booker scored eight points in the fourth on 4-of-5 shooting while Paul as Paul scored five with his last bucket - a dagger jumper – put Phoenix up nine points with 1:03 left.
Durant will have plenty of opportunities to close out games, but Ayton put the finishing touches on Tuesday’s win with 10 points in the fourth on 4-of-4 shooting. This is after battling the physical All-Star Domantas Sabonis, who finished 24 points and 15 boards, through three quarters. and battling fatigue after the Suns didn’t practice Saturday and Super Bowl Sunday following a five-game road trip.
As important as the fifth starter is, the person who closes with Durant, Booker, Paul and Ayton is even more important. Teams will likely double Durant and zone up or shade to Booker with the hope that the other three won’t deliver.
Ayton will be one of those guys called upon to come through.
Ross signs, Wainright one more
Terrence Ross has signed with the Suns after the Orlando Magic bought out his contract, his agent Aaron Mintz of CAA, told The Republic.
At 6-6, Ross is a big guard/wing who may be that fifth guy to close out games because he can get off his own shot and knock down 3s. He’s streaky and has a tendency to keep shooting even when turning cold, but he’s not afraid to shoot and take big shots.
The Suns now have one roster spot left on their 15-man standard roster.
That spot should have Ish Wainright’s name all over it.
“I’m not worried about it,” Wainright said before Tuesday’s game. “I’ve got two games to play and two games to play my best and do whatever I got to do to secure my future. I’m trying not to let it get to me.”
Being a two-way player, Wainright now has just one more game remaining after Tuesday’s game unless the Suns sign him for the rest of the season. They did it at the end of last season – and should do it again.
The Suns needed him with all the injuries they had and Wainright came through. He’s averaging 7.3 points in 22.1 minutes and 3.1 rebounds in seven games this month. Phoenix has won five of those games.
With T.J. Warren and Darius Bazley, two forwards the Suns acquired in separate trades before last week’s trade deadline, they got depth at that position, but Wainright knows the system, can knock down 3s, defends and plays physically. He has helped fill Bridges’ defensive void, too.
Wainright is a two-way guy on paper, but let’s keep it real.
He’s more than that for the Suns this season, especially when they needed players to overcome their slew of injuries.